Countdown To Destruction
by Ishval
Summary: Sequel to Guns, Murder, Mayhem, Oh Mai. Gene continues with his 007 fixations as his birthday looms. A new evil has risen, and it's up to MI5, and Section 9 to stop their devious plans while working to keep Mai from falling into the wrong hands. Rewritten. AU
Mai sat at her desk as she sent wistful glances to the seats on either side of her. She recalled the note she found that morning as she raced to get to school.

My Dearest Mai,

I'm sorry that Gene and I can't be with you at school today, but we have a series of meetings to attend to and I for one don't want to bore you with the details. We should be able to pick you up after school.

Love you,

Oliver xoxo

P.S. Miss Moneypenny, you know our birthday is coming up.

She snorted at the memory. Gene had been hinting, well the hints weren't actually subtle that the twins birthday was coming up and he wanted the latest 007 game to complete his collection.

She propped her head on her hand and listened to the teaching speaking not noticing the glances she was receiving from a particular surly boy several seats away.

The brunette was obviously bored. She glanced at the clock on the wall hoping that time would go by faster.

As the dismissal bell rang, she stood up and quickly packed her books, notebooks, and other things away. "Hey Mai," Michiru and Keiko approached her. "We noticed that Kazuya and Kazuhiro weren't here today," Michiru glanced at the cinnamon haired girl. She appeared nervous.

Keiko nodded, "We overheard Shinji talking to his friends that he was going to get even with you today for two years ago when the teacher moved him from his seat."

The three girls exited the room and strode down the hallway. "Don't worry guys," Mai's voice held a new confidence that Michiru and Keiko hadn't heard in a long time.

As the three girls stepped out into the sunlight, a group of boys surrounded them as Shinji advanced on Mai. "You know I don't know why so many people are concerned about an orphan like you." He shoved the girl out of the circle as the boys separated her from Keiko and Michiru.

He glanced around, "I don't see your pretty boys anywhere to rescue you today." He reached out and shoved her again.

As she backpedaled to try to put some distance between herself and the aggressor, she heard some cheers from the other boys.

"Look, Shinji, it's just a simple desk."

"I don't care. Ever since they came here," he shoved her again for emphasis, "things have changed." He shoved her again.

Mai planted her feet and did what Lin had told her to do in a situation like this. She would bend like a reed in the wind but not break.

Shinji reached out again only, this time, Mai grabbed his wrist of one of his arms with both hands, and putting her weight on her hips she bent transferring her weight to her legs and then pulled with all her might.

The look on Shinji's face was priceless as his feet left the ground and he flew over Mai's shoulder and landed on the ground flat on his back. Mai stared into his eyes, "Now, I think we're done here," and she turned on her heel as she strode away.

Exiting through the gate, she spotted the van that Lin drove with Oliver and Gene standing outside waiting for her. She ran towards them and leaped into Oliver's outstretched arms. She closed her eyes as she felt a peck on her cheek and she snuggled into his embrace. "Let's go home," he whispered in her ear.

She nodded as she glanced up into his eyes and climbed into the van.

Gene turned around in the passenger seat and stared at her. "There's something different about you, Mai. You're positively glowing with pride. Did something happen today?"

As Lin drove the van he let, his eyes leave the road for a second to glance up into the rearview mirror at the teens in the back. "I have to agree with Gene."

"Well I wasn't going to mention it, but you guys know Shinji has been picking on me since the teacher moved my seat two years ago. Today he decided to try to pick a fight with me since you two were not around."

"What happened," Oliver asked as he attempted to find any trace of bruising on the girl next to him.

"I got tired of him shoving me around so I just did as Lin taught me and bent like a reed and threw him over my shoulder and then I just walked away."

A crooked grin crossed Gene's face, "Well done, Miss Moneypenny, well done."

Oliver squeezed the girl tighter to him as he smirked, "That's my girl."

Mai rolled her eyes at the pair of twins.

As they entered the house, Mai bypassed the living room, entered the kitchen hanging her backpack off a chair, and then moving over to the stove, and pulled out the necessities to make tea.

She heard chairs pulling out as the others took a place at the table and she filled the tea kettle and set it on the stove. "So what were the meetings about today?"

Oliver sighed as he watched Mai's movements. "Someone has been hacking into the Ministry of Defense and leaking top secret documents on the Internet."

Mai let out a small gasp as she turned to face the three MI5 agents who sat at her kitchen table, "Can't you do a trace or something like that to figure out who's behind the hacking and leaking of the secrets?"

"We tried and Section 9 has also tried. Whoever is behind this is too good."

"So what do we do now?"

"We wait," he replied as the teakettle screamed for attention.

She poured the water into a porcelain teapot that had belonged to her mother and placed the tea leaves inside allowing the tea to steep. She pulled out teacups and set them on the table, and then put the teapot on the table so each could pour their own tea as she sat down pulling her things out of the backpack to begin her homework.

"Miss Moneypenny, as usual, your tea is so good. But just once I'd like to have a martini that's shaken and not stirred."

She rolled her eyes and then fixed Gene with a glare. "Answer me a question, just one. Why are you so fixated on James Bond?"

The raven-haired teen smiled, "Well I guess it's because our dad is with MI5. I mean think about it, dad is kind of like James Bond and then here we have my big brained brother M and our lab tech Q and to fill out the team we now have you, Miss Moneypenny."

Mai shook her head at how easily he goes from Gene to Connery's James Bond in a second. "One of these days Gene someone isn't going to like your humor."

"You wound me, Miss Moneypenny." A sly smile crossed his face. "Now about that birthday present—"

She turned and glared at the older teen, "No way in hell am I buying you an Aston Martin equipped with an ejection seat."

The phone rang and a man answered, "Is our surprise ready?"

"Yes sir, it's ready. Tomorrow morning someone's going to get a big bang out of this."

"Very well," a smile crossed the man's face as he turned to another man. "Call the prime minister and deliver our request."  
"Certainly," the thin man bowed.

Hosho Takigawa wasn't in a good mood, to say the least. He'd just hung up the phone with the Prime Minister, who wasn't in a good mood either.

He pressed a button on his desk, "Miss Choda, send them in," he spoke to his secretary.

A tinny, "Yes sir," came from the intercom on his desk. He looked up as his top agents entered the room. From left to right they were John Brown a recent addition, Osamu Yasuhara, Masako Hara, and the fiery red head Ayako Matsuzaki.

"Take a seat," he frowned as he glanced down at a report. "The reason I called you here is because we have a new problem. Apparently, a group calling themselves the Japanese Panthers has been hacking the Ministry of Defense and leaking secrets on the internet. However, it doesn't stop there. They called the Prime Minister earlier this evening and threatened that if certain things don't change, they will start eliminating some staff members. Including every Ambassador on Japanese soil from other countries and going after American military bases."

Matsuzaki clenched her fists, "Do they even realize that doing something like that could start a war."

He nodded, "They don't seem to care. They appear to be only interested in destabilizing the government. Also, they said if the prime minister didn't believe they were serious to watch their demonstration in the morning. What that means no one knows."

"What are their demands?" Yasuhara leaned forward in his seat.

"They want us to sever all ties with every other nation, and they want all foreigners out of the country. They also said that they want four hundred trillion yen."

"They sound like extremists," John commented, "Which could be a major problem."

Takigawa nodded. "Yes, and they said they would have more demands after their demonstration tomorrow morning."

Masako leaned back in her seat, "What should we do?"

"At the moment, we wait to find out the rest of their demands."

The four officers took their leave and filed out of the office.

As the sun rose and shined its bright rays down on the ground, a man exited a house as a woman and two small children waved good-bye. The man climbed into his car, put a key in the ignition, and turned the key. Suddenly a large boom sounded and the car exploded in a fiery blaze with shrapnel flying.

Both children screamed and their mother cried as she raced inside the house to call for both police and the fire department.

It didn't take long for the media to descend on the scene as if they were vultures set on picking a corpse clean. Reporters tried to enter the home to talk to the shocked woman and her children.

Mai, while getting ready for school, stopped as a news report came onto the TV reporting the death of the representative of the Gunma prefecture. The reporter was a cute and attractive woman by the name of Shizuka Ichijo. "We repeat that the representative from the Gunma prefecture was killed this morning in an apparent car bombing."

"Oh no, this is horrible," Mai sat down as moisture came to her eyes as they flashed a picture of the man surrounded by his wife and children who looked to be no more than five and three years old.

Seeing the children brought back memories of how the Ethiopian had callously shot her father in his own lab instantly killing him in front of a five-year-old Mai, who witnessed the whole thing as she hid behind a cabinet. Tears came to her eyes as the scene replayed itself repeatedly. She thought she had come to terms with it by now at seventeen.

She wrapped her arms around herself as she cried and rocked back and forth. "It's not fair," she moaned as her sobs grew in intensity.

Gene stepped into the room, and he kneeled down in front of her spot on the couch. "Mai," his tone was gentle, "What's wrong?"

She stopped as she could just point to the TV. He put two and two together realizing she wasn't crying for the family itself but the fact that those two children were now fatherless as she was.

"I'll get Oliver," he stood and raced out of the room and ran upstairs. He stopped in the doorway of the boys shared room, and sucked in a breath, "Oliver, Mai needs you," he spoke quickly.

The younger twin ran down the stairs and wrapped his arms around her as Gene followed him into the living room. Gene whispered something into his brother's ear and Oliver nodded, he lifted Mai into his arms and carried her to her room. He placed her down on the bed and allowed her to cry herself to sleep.

Gene descended the stairs, through the hallway, and down another set of stairs and opened the door to the underground base. He entered to find Lin at his laptop sending off an email to Martin Davis. "You need to call the school."

Lin turned to face the teen, "What's happened?"

Gene's face matched the sadness that Mai was feeling. "Mai saw the news this morning about a car bombing and they showed the man's family. She's reliving the death of her father."

Lin nodded, "I'll just tell them she's sick."

Gene stepped out of the room as he glared at the opposite wall as a he brushed at a bit of moisture from his own eyes, "Oh Miss Moneypenny, why do you have to suffer?"

Takigawa and his agents arrived on the scene as he began to converse with the lead investigator to the car bombing.

"I see they got you out of the office."

Takigawa rolled his eyes at the other man, "You're just jealous Hattori that you couldn't pass the test."

Takigawa's former partner snorted. "I'm just glad I don't have to stick around here now that you're here. You can have this headache."

"Look, Hattori, this is serious. We have a new threat that it looks like will do anything to get their point across."

Hattori pushed his glasses up his nose as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Care to fill me in?"

"Ever hear of a group called the Japanese Panthers?"

"I've heard of them, they're a group of small time thugs."

Takigawa shook his head as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Not anymore, they're responsible for this."

Hattori coughed as if actually shocked. "You're kidding me, right?"

"I wish I was." Takigawa clapped a hand on his old friend's shoulder. "Watch your back they could strike anywhere next."

Hattori nodded as Takigawa strode away to consult with Ayako.

Lin stepped outside the doorway of Mai's room and knocked softly on the doorframe as Oliver glanced up from his seat by her bed. Lin motioned for Oliver to come and join him.

Lin handed him an email from his father.

Oliver read it and glanced up at Lin, "So Father wants us to assist Section 9 in this investigation."

Lin nodded. "He's also sending equipment for Mai."

Oliver nodded as he peeked in on the girl. "I hope that when things get bad, she can hold her own," he thought aloud.

Mai's eyes opened as she turned to try to focus her eyes on her alarm clock. It read 12:00 pm. She vaguely remembered Gene followed by Oliver, who had carried her upstairs where she cried herself to sleep.

She descended the stairs and found Oliver, Gene, Lin sitting on the couch and a chair respectively. She walked over as Oliver scooted over to make a little room for her to squeeze in between him and Gene.

She cast her gaze on the TV and watched as an unusual announcement was playing. "To repeat the Japanese Prime Minister and the Ambassadors of many nations are meeting to discuss this newest threat to our country. They have released a statement, 'We are saddened by the death of Kei Sabata this morning and will not bow to an act of terrorism.' They have resolved to remain united."

"What does this mean?" Mai gazed up at Oliver hoping for an explanation.

He ran a hand through his hair, "This means that we are being mobilized and we will be working with Section 9 again."

The doorbell rang and Gene was up out of his seat in a flash. As he opened the door, he found a stack of boxes sitting on the doorstep and a guy standing beside it holding a clipboard. "Will you sign for this?"

Gene signed the clipboard and gave the man a friendly wave as he left. "I think I need some help getting these inside," He called out to the others and they all helped him to bring in the boxes.

A huge smile lit Gene's face as he pulled his slim pocket knife out of his pants pocket and quickly opened all the boxes. Pulling out packing invoices, he glanced at the boxes and looked up at Mai. He slid two of the boxes across the floor to her, "Special delivery for Miss Moneypenny courtesy of MI5."

One of the boxes contained body armor specifically for her, and the other contained weapons for her.

Gene's eyes grew large as he practically danced about the room with the contents of the third box. "We finally get some gadgets, M."

Oliver rolled his eyes at his brother's demonstration. They were communication devices that could keep their team in constant contact with each other. Each one consisted of an earpiece that would fit over the ear with an attached microphone and wire, which led to a small box that could fit on a belt. "It's nice to see Research and Development have been working on something."

Looking for the last box, a gleam flashed in Gene's eyes as he pulled out what looked to be a canister type grenade. "Ooh, we get some new toys too." He pulled out a box and tossed them, Lin, "You get some tear gas grenades," and the larger box he pulled out he whistled through his teeth. "We've got some flash bangs."

Lin glanced over at Gene and then over at Oliver and Mai and he shook his head, "Gene, you'd think it was your birthday."

"Speaking of birthday's—"

Mai planted her hands on her hips and glared at Gene, "Don't say it."

Oliver worked with Mai teaching her how to get her weapons in place, put on her bulletproof body armor, and his parents even sent her a jacket like the others.

Even though the body armor was functional, Oliver couldn't help but admire how it fit to Mai's body and accentuated every curve.

She gazed at his face and caught a slight blush on his cheeks. She blushed as well as he bent over and caught her mouth with his own as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her close.

"Is our reply ready for the Prime Minister's obvious lack of brains," the figure shrouded in darkness as the man who stood before him.

"Yes, it is, sir. We just have to send the message to our troops."

"Very well Yanagi, send the word."

Yanagi bowed and placed a hand over his heart as in a salute. He straightened and turned on his heel as he exited his master's chamber. A wicked smile stretched across his face.

Mai picked up a phone from her cubicle in the lab and called upstairs, Lin answered the extension. "Mai?" the Chinese man asked.

"No time to explain, but I just caught chatter coming from the Japanese Panthers. They're going to attack my old elementary school."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Lin I am," her voice choked as she fought to hold back her emotions. "We need to evacuate the school."

As Lin parked the van in front of the school, Mai looked out to see a familiar figure directing the evacuation of the school. "Section 9 is on the ball, thanks to you Miss Moneypenny."

Everyone climbed out of the van as they joined Takigawa. He nodded to them. "No sign of them but we're getting all the kids out along with the staff and loading them onto school buses to be sent to another school."

"How do you want to play this?" Oliver asked the older man.

"Take up positions over along the East wall. The local cops have a chopper in the air and they've caught sight of a large cavalcade of vehicles heading this way." He sighed, "Looks like somehow these got actually got organized."

As the last child got on board a bus, the buses pulled away from the school with minutes to spare as Takigawa got his people organized.

Beads of sweat formed on Mai's upper lip as she gripped her glock. Could she do this, she wondered to herself. Can I kill? She asked herself. The closest she'd come were the targets at the gun range.

Her hand shook as she readied herself for the oncoming onslaught.

Cars and trucks pulled up close to the school as armed men jumped out and spread out around the school not expecting armed resistance. As they began to step towards the school, a voice rang out through a bullhorn. "That's far enough. On behalf of the Japanese government, I'm placing you all under arrest. Drop your weapons and surrender."

Gunshots were their reply as the thugs began to advance.

Fear ran through Mai as her hands shook and she ducked as a bullet whizzed past her. She heard Oliver's voice over the communicator, "I know you're scared. Everyone is scared at one time or another but these guys are out for blood, but if you don't feel comfortable with that just toss a flash bang at their line. That will disorient them."

She licked her lips as she pulled the grenade off her belt, pulled the pin, and threw it over the wall. She knelt down, put her hands over her ears, and closed her eyes.

It landed at the feet of a burly looking man who tried to kick it away when it exploded with a blinding flash of light and the noise itself was deafening. Momentarily blinded and unable to hear he blindly started firing his weapon, but in his confusion, he started killing his own men until someone put a bullet between his eyes from his own side.

The battle ended quickly without injuries to the defenders as the aggressors ran away.

Oliver sighed, he knew sometime Mai would have to kill, but he was grateful that today she had listened to him.

Mai glanced up as she spotted Oliver approaching with a frown on his face. She figured he was probably mad at her and the small brunette braced herself for the tongue-lashing that was sure to come. However, her eyes grew large as surprise crossed her face when he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms. "I'm glad you weren't hurt," he whispered in her ear.

The Panthers returned to base to find Yanagi waited for the reports from each squad's commander. A young man stepped up to him, "Sir, I'd like to state that I know one of the defenders who were waiting for us at the school."

"Really," Yanagi stroked his goatee as he waited for the boy to continue.

"Yes she goes to my high school, her name is Mai Taniyama."

"Thank you," Yanagi's eyes slid slyly towards the boy. "I haven't heard that name in a couple of years. I think our leader will be interested in this information."

The boy bowed and saluted Yanagi and then strode through the confines of the Panther headquarters.

Yanagi turned and received the others reports and entered the master's chambers where he and another of the master's underlings waited to hear the report.

"Report," the master's voice held a chill as he watched the scenes on a news story of their failed attempt to capture an elementary school to hold the children hostage and force the government to bow to their will.

"Somehow they knew we were coming. Each squad suffered casualties but Squad 2 was practically decimated by friendly fire when one member was blinded by one of those flash-bang grenades."

"Very well we go with phase 2. Activate our spies in the Ambassador's residences to carry out the next step."

"Well, sir, I also received a bit of information from one of the squad members. He's from one of the local high schools and he notified me that he recognized one of the defenders as a Mai Taniyama."

The leader nodded to a woman on his left. "Mai Taniyama was the target of the Ethiopian, who is sitting on death row awaiting execution after the next appeal fails, which will be in a matter of days."

"What is so special about this girl?"

"She's the daughter of the famed weapons maker Taniyama, who the Ethiopian killed twelve years ago in search of his research, but she never found it and was captured when she tried to force the information from the Taniyama girl as she sat in recovery in the hospital."

The leader smirked at his third in command. "You have solid intel, Kei. Now back to the Taniyama girl," he pulled out a vial of clear liquid and held it out for Yanagi to take. "Give this to the boy and instruct him on how to use it."

"But shouldn't it be like a white powder?"

"No, this was developed by my own lab. Have him get her to ingest it. I'm sure he can figure out a way."

Yanagi took the vial and saluted as he turned and strode out of the room.

The leader turned to his third in command, "I have a job for you to do, Miss Ubusana. Break the Ethiopian out of prison and bring her to me. I have a use for her special skills."

Mai, Oliver, Gene, Keiko, and Michiru sat underneath their favorite Sakura tree as they ate lunch. A fight erupted near them between two boys as others joined the fray with fists flying.

Oliver and Gene decided to go put a stop to it when other boys quickly jumped into the fray, some trying to halt the fight as others joined the fight.

Mai, Keiko, and Michiru tried to move out of the way, as several bodies came flying towards them. As Mai moved her bento box out of the way as a boy landed in her lap, unseen by anyone a vial was tipped over and some of its contents found its way into her food.

Quickly the fight was broke up and Oliver and Gene returned as Gene sat down in between his Bond girls and Oliver and Mai resumed eating in a companionable silence. No one noticed the smirk that Shinji wore on his face.

Once they returned to the classroom, Shinji approached Mai's desk. "Say Taniyama, you must like getting felt up by boys you don't know," He smirked as he strode away.

"What did he mean by that?" Oliver glanced her way.

"One of the boys in the fight landed on me. I guess he's enjoying my embarrassment," she replied as her face flushed. She rubbed her temple as she felt a headache coming on.

"Are you okay?" he asked as concern flooded his cerulean eyes.

"I'll be fine, it's just a headache."

Takigawa leaned back in his seat, "This is bad," he muttered to himself as Ayako entered his office. He motioned for her to take a seat. "I need your medical expertise. The Ambassador from America, Brazil, and India have all fallen ill with a mysterious illness that our doctors can't comprehend. It has a sudden onset of Headache, fever, chills, vomiting, sometimes-bloody vomit, complaints of sore throats and stomach pains. What do you think it is?"

She sat with arms crossed over her chest and crossed one leg over the other. "I have no idea. I'd need to see their test results to make an informed diagnosis. However, in case it's a weird case of food poisoning I would start them on a broad spectrum antibiotic which may help lessen the severity of the symptoms."

He nodded, "I'll contact their doctors and request the results."

Mai rummaged around her kitchen as Oliver, Gene and Lin were downstairs checking over equipment and filing reports. She moved over to the refrigerator and pulled the door open to gather the foodstuff to make dinner. She noticed her throat was feeling a bit sore as she swallowed hard. Darkness began to flood the corners of her eyes as a weird feeling crept into her body as a pain stabbed her stomach. Mai collapsed onto the floor like a rag doll.

Gene's stomach rumbled and he wondered what Mai was fixing for dinner tonight. Gene picked up a phone and dialed upstairs to talk to Mai, however, no one answered. He began to feel uneasy as he looked towards his brother, "Hey M, have you checked on Mai lately, she's not answering the extension upstairs."

Oliver nodded, "Lin can you finish the adjustments for me?"

Lin nodded as he retrieved the weapon from Oliver and began working as the younger teen headed out the door and up the stairs.

As he opened the door, he found Mai collapsed on the floor. Oliver quickly slammed the refrigerator door shut, then knelt over Mai as he checked and found she had a pulse. Oliver quickly checked her over for injuries, and then picked her up in his arms. He carried her upstairs to her room and found she was burning up with a fever yet she shook as if she had chills. He placed her on the bed and covered her up.

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

Takigawa noticed his phone ringing from an outside line. "Hello?"

"Director Takigawa," he recognized the voice of Oliver Davis.

"What can I do for you?"

"Mai's sick, could you please send Miss Matsuzaki over to check on her?"

"That won't be a problem. She'll be there in about a half an hour."

"Thank you, director." Oliver hung up his phone and replaced it in his pocket as Mai began to stir.

Mai's eyes opened to find she was in her room, "What happened?" she managed to croak out as her voice sounded hoarse.

"I don't know. I found you passed out on the kitchen floor."

She sat up on the bed as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. "My stomach hurts," she moaned and then she began to gag.

Oliver helped her up and they crossed the hall to enter the bathroom. She leaned over the toilet and started to gag and cough and then the contents of her stomach came up. Oliver noticed it had a blackish color to it, blood.

He rubbed circles on her back as she continued to vomit. Once she stopped, he filled a glass with water allowing her to wash her mouth out with the water and he flushed the toilet. She moaned as she sagged in his arms. He picked her up and carried her back to her room.

Now all he needed to do was waiting for Ayako to get there and give him an answer as to what was wrong with Mai.

Ayako parked her red sports car in the driveway behind Lin's van. Climbing out she pulled out her physician bag, strode up to the door, and knocked.

The swung open to find the older and more jovial of the twins, "Hurry, she's upstairs." He called out to the red headed woman as he led the way.

Ayako entered Mai's room to find the usually happy brunette practically in tears. She pulled out a thermometer and stuck it in the girl's mouth as she took her pulse. She pulled the thermometer up and frowned at the temperature. After listening to her chest and taking her blood pressure, she turned to Oliver, "What are her symptoms."

As Oliver told Ayako the symptoms, she nodded as she frowned. "Three Ambassadors were admitted to hospitals in Tokyo this morning presenting the same symptoms. Three more were admitted this afternoon."

"Do you know what it is?" the younger of the twins asked as he raked his hand through his hair.

"No, we don't however, we have no idea how only the ambassadors are coming down sick and none of the employees and now Mai." She pulled out a phone and spoke to an operator. "I need an ambulance at this address," she told the lady the address, as the woman gave her an estimated time of arrival of the ambulance she yelled into the phone. "I need that ambulance here as fast as humanly possible. You tell that driver to get his ass into gear."

"Yes… ma'am," the operator's voice trembled as Ayako hung up her phone with a smug look on her face.

Lin appeared in the doorway, "Miss Matsuzaki, I would like to offer my services."

She glared at the Chinese man, "I thought you were just the gadget man."

He shook his head in the negative. "Besides being well versed in computer technology, I also have a degree in Bio Engineering."

"Meaning you could easily splice two genes of two contagious diseases together and create a Biological bomb. That's just great…" she sighed. "I guess I don't have much choice, you're now my new lab tech since the others I have are stumped and probably haven't seen as much as you have."

After she was admitted to the hospital and placed on oxygen to ease her breathing and two IV's started, one to administer fluids to keep her from being dehydrated the other IV was for a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Oliver paced outside her room.

Gene leaned up against a wall as he watched his brother pace. "Calm down, they're doing everything they can."

Oliver turned on his mirror reflection and glared. "Mai's in there and she's scared and they won't let me see her."

"It's protocol. They don't know what they're dealing with. If this is a precursor to a biological weapon attack they want to make sure they know what they're dealing with."

"How can you be so calm?"

Gene gave his brother a lopsided grin, "Miss Moneypenny is a fighter," he returned to his Bond persona. "You just remember that M."

Oliver rolled his eyes at his older brother, "I know she's a fighter, okay. But I'm worried –"

"It's all right, I know you are." Gene's stomach rumbled. "Come on let's see how bad the cafeteria food is since we didn't get dinner." He threw his arm over Oliver's shoulder and steered his younger brother to the elevator.

Ayako and Lin worked through the night in the lab trying to figure out what it was that was making mainly the Ambassadors so sick. Several more were brought to the hospital later that even all exhibiting the same signs of sickness.

Oliver and Eugene camped out in a waiting room on Mai's floor waiting for some word as to what it was. So far, no one had died, and Oliver hoped no one would.

As dawn broke over the land and the sun began to banish the night, Lin turned to face Ayako. "I've found the cause. It's Bacillus Anthracis."

"Can you explain that to me in layman's terms?" She sighed as she slumped over from exhaustion.

"It's Anthrax."

"Anthrax, I was under the impression that it was a disease that could strike cattle."

"Yes it usually is, but it can be transmitted to people if they touch the carcass of an animal killed by anthrax or if they ingest the meat it will make them severely sick. There was a case in India where a town was quarantined after a cow died of anthrax and people ate the flesh. Seven died in that incident.

"This type is the kind that's created in a lab through artificial means intended to harm humans. However, now that I know what it is it won't take me long to synthesize an antidote."

"So when you say it was created in a lab, you mean through Bio Engineering," she stared at the Chinese man.

He nodded, "This was deliberate, but for the life of me I can't see how it connects to Mai. She's the only high schooler to become sickened by it."

"I'll contact Takigawa, but I can't help but think these Japanese Panthers are behind it."

"I agree," he spoke with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Several hours later Lin had created enough of an antidote to be given to everyone sickened by anthrax. Lin personally took a shot of the antidote to Mai's room. He gazed at the girl's prone form as he injected the antidote into an IV port. He placed a hand on the brunette's forehead as she opened her eyes and opened her mouth to speak.

"Save your strength," he spoke quietly as he removed his hand from her forehead. "I've just given you a shot of the antidote. Oliver has been beside himself with worry, but you should start feeling better in a few hours."

A weak smile crossed Mai's face as she glanced up at the Chinese man. "Thank you, Lin," she managed to croak out as her eyelids slid shut and she slipped into a slightly easier slumber.

Lin entered the waiting room to find both the twins in the waiting room. Gene was spread out on a couch asleep with an arm thrown over his face while Oliver sat in a chair with a brooding expression on his face.

Lin sat on a couch opposite from Gene. "I found the antidote, she was poisoned by Anthrax."

Oliver leaned forward as he propped his elbows on his thighs and steepled his fingers under his chin. "It has to be these idiots, the Panthers who are responsible."

Lin nodded, "Miss Matsuzaki and I came to the same conclusion."

Takigawa was not happy. He hung up the phone after speaking with his old partner Hattori. Someone, most likely the Panthers had broken Alice Blanc out of prison. He sighed as he picked up the phone receiver. He hated to wake the Prime Minister up this early, but the man needed to know that the recent string of illnesses wasn't by chance it was deliberate.

Martin Davis read the reports that his counterpart in Japan had sent besides those sent by Oliver and Lin. He did not like this one bit. Martin picked up his phone and as he sent out a couple of emails to other departments within the MI5 building. He needed more insurance over in Japan to protect the Taniyama girl and to help Section 9 with these Panthers running amok.

He dialed a number that was on an outside but secure line. After several rings, he heard the person on the other end answer. A voice filled with sleep answered, "Hello?"

"I'm sorry to wake you so early, but I'm activating your team."

The voice on the other end instantly came to life, "Oh, where's the location."

"Japan, I'm sending your team to reinforce Noll's team."

"When do we leave?" the female voice responded with a hint of laughter.

Martin could imagine the grin on the woman's face, "As soon as you can assemble your team, and get your equipment readied. I'll have the necessary paperwork ready. Madoka, keep your wits about you, someone broke the Ethiopian out of prison last night."

"I most certainly will, sir." He heard the phone go click and he could imagine the woman in a tizzy rousing her team and getting them ready to go. He couldn't help but chuckle at the image.

Four women stepped off a plane at Tokyo International Airport. Quickly they passed through security and grabbed their bags from luggage claim. Madoka checked again to find out who their contact would be when she spotted a young man around 21 years of age, with bright blond hair and friendly blue eyes. "I take it your our contact from Section 9."

"Yes ma'am, I'm John Brown," he replied with a smile. He held out his hand.

She took it and shook hands with the younger man, "I'm Madoka Mori, and this is my team." Her eyes held a bit of an impish gleam and she brushed a strand of her pinkish hair from her face.

"We should go to headquarters. Director Takigawa-by now is probably eating aspirin and antacids because of the situation."

"Lead the way Agent Brown," she smiled as she and her fellow teammates followed him.

John drove the black sedan through the streets of Tokyo as they headed for Section 9. "I was sure my fellow MI5 agents would have been at the airport to greet me also."

John frowned, "They probably would have if someone hadn't tried to poison Miss Taniyama with Anthrax."

"So who will be there to greet us at Section 9?"

"Oliver is there, but he didn't want to leave the hospital," John took a sidelong glance at Madoka to gauge her reaction.

Madoka smiled, "So the heir apparent comes to meet us, girls," she voiced to the others in the back.

"Huh? I was under the impression he and his brother would never leave their ivory tower."

Madoka chuckled, "Well actually they've been over here for the past two years. His team's been providing protection for the Taniyama heiress."

John took a hand from the steering wheel and coughed. "Well, there's extenuating circumstances for that but Mai's become like a part of the family with his team and Section 9 and she kind of stole his heart."

Madoka's eyes gleamed as she turned to John, "Really? Oh, I have to get details on this. His mother will be so thrilled."

John just smiled in reply as kept his eyes on the road.

The four women followed John Brown through the Section 9 Building and led them to Takigawa's office. His secretary motioned them to enter. They saw the tawny haired man sitting at his desk, with two other Section 9 personnel seated in a couple of chairs, a brooding young man with raven hair stood by a window as his cerulean blue eyes stared out but his mind was across town as he wondered if Mai missed him. He heard the others enter and he turned to face the newcomers and sent a slight nod towards Madoka.

He moved over and sat down next to Madoka as Takigawa gazed at the new arrivals. "I appreciate MI5 sending another team to help us with our cat problem."

Madoka nodded, "I'm Madoka Mori team leader and sniper. To my right is Suzuki Naoko, Explosives Specialist, Noriko Morishita, second in command and weapons specialist, and Chiaki Kasai, Electronic Infiltration Specialist and she also handles communications," each member nodded towards the Director of Section 9.

Oliver raised an eyebrow towards Madoka but didn't say a word.

Takigawa motioned to the two people sitting in chairs who hadn't been introduced yet. "These are two of my top agents Osamu Yasuhara, he usually works with Masako Hara here as her backup but I'm having him retrained as a dog handler. Masako Hara is also a weapons specialist. Her specialty is with throwing knives. You've already met John Brown, who was formerly with the CIA, and our medic is at the hospital with Lin Koujo keeping tabs on all the Anthrax victims."

Madoka frowned at the mention of Lin, and crossed a leg over the other, "If I understand the situation correctly you have a problem with a particular homegrown group of terrorists who are basically demanding that your government turn over control of the country and the entire treasury. They tried taking over an elementary school and attacked other nation's representatives with germ warfare plus the Taniyama girl. They've also broken out of prison the Ethiopian, who turned out to be Alice Blanc former maid for Oliver's parents."

She frowned again, "So this again puts Miss Taniyama in danger again." She glanced at Oliver, "You said in your report that the girl carries her father's secrets in her head and all it will take is a code word to get them out. Then why haven't you done this?"

Oliver sighed, "Because it would too hard for her to even try to relay the formulas involved with the designs much less interpret what she's seeing."

Madoka smiled sweetly at him, "So basically you just called the girl you like stupid."

He rolled his eyes at the older woman who had also taught him most of what he knows about the spy business. "No, I did not."

"Well I don't know about anyone else, but I'd like to get to the hospital and meet this Taniyama girl," a gleam flashed in her eyes.

Oliver led the way to Mai's room, he wished he'd had a chance to warn Lin, but Madoka kept giving him glares every time he reached into his pocket for his cellphone. In a way, he feared for his guardian's safety.

As the group entered Mai's hospital room, he moved over to the bed she rested on and he sighed as the girl sat up and gazed at the newcomers.

"Who are they?" she pointed to the other women.

"They are also MI5, Madoka is their team leader," Oliver spoke quietly.

"Why is that one woman," she pointed at Madoka, "so mad looking."

"That's Lin's girlfriend."

Gene leaned against the wall with an enormous grin on his face.

Madoka glared at Lin, "You know you could have called me, but no you keep to radio silence for two freaking years. I don't get a single phone call or text message, nothing. I have to hear from Martin that your fine." She crossed her arms over her chest as she let out a puff of breath and stamped her foot and turned to stare out a window. She took two sidelong glances at him from the corner of her eyes as he swallowed as if thinking of an apology.

She threw her arms down at her sides in frustration as she turned back towards him, "The hell with it." She leaped at him as she smacked him lightly on the chest, "I've missed you, dummy. Now kiss me before I go berserk on your ass."

Gene chuckled, "I think she means it Q, better kiss her before she really gets mad."

"Stay out of this, twerp," Madoka shot at the teen.

Lin brushed his hand across her cheek and then embraced her as he pressed his lips to hers. As they parted, he gazed into her face. "I'm sorry, but it was Martin's orders I was following. He didn't want anyone to know that we'd moved Mai from her apartment back to her childhood home."

Madoka's face flushed with anger. "Oh, Martin's got some explaining to do when we return to England."

"What do you mean our Anthrax attack failed?" The leader hissed as a pudgy hand snaked out and slapped Yanagi across the face.

Blood dripped from the corner of Yanagi's mouth blending in with his goatee. "I'm sorry sir we will strive to do better," the man straightened his glasses and pushed them up the bridge of his nose with a finger.

"Make sure they do. Dispatch the boy's squad to the hospital. Tell him to kill the girl as a test of his loyalty to our cause. The others are to kill the Ambassadors and this time if the Prime Minister doesn't listen to me we send the Ethiopian to kill him. To sweeten the pot send another team to Shibuya Station and set up the bombs. Several thousand corpses and thousands of injured may make this government think twice about opposing us."

Madoka turned to Oliver and the girl in the bed. "So this Mai," she spoke as she approached the pair. "I'm Madoka Mori, pleased to meet you." She gazed at Oliver, "She's cute."

Mai's face turned a bright shade of red as she ducked her head behind Oliver's shoulder.

Madoka giggled, "Bashful too, looks like you have a winner here. Take good care of her, oh and I do want an invitation to the wedding."

Mai let out a small squeak from her throat as she tried to hide further behind her boyfriend.

He gazed up at Madoka and smirked as he felt the heat seep in through his suit jacket and shirt to his back from Mai's face. He turned and pulled her into an embrace. "Don't worry, Madoka is just teasing."

"Who says I'm teasing?" Madoka placed her hands on her hips and glared.

"Spare M and Moneypenny from your wrath Miss Ryder and be my Bond girl." Gene gave the pinkish haired woman a lopsided grin.

Madoka rolled her eyes at Gene, "Will you ever grow out of your James Bond fascination."

He shrugged his shoulders, "Probably not."

Two SUV's pulled into the hospital's parking garage. Two groups of eight men armed to the teeth clambered out of the vehicles. A large man, bald with several missing teeth turned to the others, "Take out security guards and whatever defenses they have then we take out the targets. Shinji, get rid of this girl or the master will think you're disloyal."

Shinji nodded as he stepped over to information desk and pointed his sub-machine gun at the receptionists face. "I want the room number for a Mai Taniyama."

Around him, gunfire rang out as two security guards who were trying to do their job was gunned down. Screams erupted from people in a waiting room as they dropped to the floor. One man was able to call 119 and tell the operator what was going on before he too met a similar fate as the security guards. "Anyone else want to play hero? I didn't think so."

Another armed gunman came up behind his companion and slapped the man on the back of the head, "Idiot, you were not supposed to take out any civilians just the targets. Now let's go."

The pair ran off as Shinji with the information he needed slipped into a stairwell. A feral grin plastered on his face.

Takigawa ran out of his office, "Let's go people." He rounded up Yasu with his K-9 companion, a massive mastiff type of dog named Bella, Masako, and John along with several other agents.

"What's going on, boss," Yasu asked as he followed Takigawa into an elevator.

"The hospital where Mai and most of the Ambassadors are located is under attack."

Ayako read the latest blood test results of the Ambassadors and Mai's. She felt satisfied that they could all be released the following day. She lifted her head to the sound of gunfire and screams. Moving over to the door, she peeked out the small window as she saw two armed gunmen pass the door to the lab.

Ayako glanced around the room looking for anything she could use as a weapon when her gaze fell on the fire extinguisher hanging on the wall. She pulled it off the wall and waited. She figured they were rounding up the hospital staff and visitors besides ambulatory patients to keep them in one area, but she needed weapons.

Sure enough, one of the gunmen entered her lab and glanced around the room, but noticed her reflection in one of the pieces of equipment as he went to turn. She raised the extinguisher and brought it down on his head as hard as she could. He collapsed to the floor in a heap. She pulled the man further into the room and found a couple of zip ties to tie his hands and feet together. Removing the broach that held her scarf in place around her neck, she used it to gag her assailant.

She quickly stripped him of his weapons and ammunition clips for his semi-automatic machine gun and his handgun. She placed the pistol in her pocket, and picked up the machine gun and crept out of the lab quietly.

She slipped down the hall and noticed a fire alarm. Her eyes brightened not knowing authorities knew what was going on or not, she smashed the glass with the rifle butt and pulled the handle down as a screaming bell began to ring all over the hospital. She spotted the staff elevators, hit the up button, and waited a minute as the doors opened and she slipped inside and pushed the button to get to Mai's floor.

As the thugs found the rooms where the Ambassadors were being hospitalized they met armed resistance in the form of military men from each Embassy. When the first guard fell dead, from a gunshot the others quickly mobilized and joined forces to keep these low life scum from reaching their targets. Several Panthers died in the fight, and the others began to lose their fighting spirit as they turned to run.

Everyone in Mai's room heard the muffled sounds of gunfire coming from the floor below. "Oh this is going to be fun," Madoka grinned. "Lock and load," she commanded as the women with her broke open their suitcases and quickly donned their body armor and equipped themselves.

Madoka hefted her sniper rifle to her shoulder as the other women of her team quickly got their own weapons together. Madoka threw her side to Oliver, "Take care of her, Noll, and don't let anything happen to Betsy."

She turned to Suzuki, "Don't try to blow up the building."

Suzuki rubbed the back of her head, "I'll try not to, but I can't make any promises."

Madoka turned to the others as they raced down the hall to the stairwell furthest from Mai's room. "They've probably taken hostages, let's free them, and then we can get rid of any other armed resistance."

"Right," the other three answered as they made it to the door, and raced down the steps to the ground floor. Unknown to them Shinji was climbing the stairs from the opposite stairwell.

Oliver glanced at the other two men with him in Mai's room. "We have to assume that this is a Panther attack and eventually they'll be coming after Mai."

Lin nodded and Gene grimaced as he nodded, "I believe you're entirely correct, M."

Oliver rose and gently maneuvered Mai over to a chair. "I've got an idea but I need to use your bed."

Mai nodded as she smiled up at him, still feeling weak as a kitten from her experience with a bacterium that could have killed her.

"Lin help me, I need to put some cover between us and whoever comes in that door. We'll turn the bed onto its side which will provide us some protection."

Lin nodded as he and Oliver turned the bed over with a thump and then slid it over as it scraped across the floor with a scratching noise that mimicked fingernails on a chalkboard.

He moved Mai over into the corner behind the now overturned bed and he positioned himself in front of her with Madoka's pistol, Betsy, trained at the door.

The elevator dinged and Ayako stepped from the car and raced to Mai's room.

Lin heard footsteps coming down the hall and he motioned for Gene to take a position on the opposite side of the door as the pair placed their bodies flush against either side of the doorframe.

Mai tensed and trembled behind Oliver and squeaked as the door slid open and a person began to enter the room.

Lin reached out and pulled the person inside the room as Gene slid the door shut and turned to find a red headed woman they all knew with her face flushed a brilliant red in anger.

"Get your hands off me!" she shouted.

Mai smiled and sighed in relief, "Ayako."

"I apologize, Miss Matsuzaki," Lin replied as he released her.

"Be glad I'm not a fighter," she replied as she handed the weapons she'd taken off the panther in her lab to Lin and Gene along with extra ammo clips. "The Panthers are taking over the hospital."

She heard the sounds of muffled gunfire from below, "Looks as if they came to finish the job on the Ambassadors."

Ayako moved behind the barricade, sat on the floor next to Mai, pulled the girl to her, and tried to calm the girl as they heard deliberate yet slow footsteps from down the hall.

Mai's eyes grew in fear as the footsteps stopped in front of her door and paused for several minutes before it was thrown open.

Shinji cautiously stepped out of the stairwell, and slowly walked down the hall glancing at the room numbers. Passing a nurses station he found it empty of personnel and continued to step down the hall until he found the room he wanted.

He considered just spraying a hail of bullets into the room from the closed door but shook his head. What's the fun in not seeing the look of panic and fear on the girl's face? He slid open the door and began to enter.

He froze when a gun came into his field of vision as he looked down the weapon barrel.

He felt another press against his temple, "I suggest that if you wish to live Mr. Goldfinger that you put your hands up on top of your head and surrender." Gene threatened without his usual sense of humor.

Shinji nodded and did as he was told while Gene and Lin searched him for weapons.

Oliver rose from behind the makeshift barricade and handed Betsy off to Ayako. He pulled his suit jacket off and gave it to Mai as he slowly and deliberately unbuttoned each shirtsleeve cuff and began to roll the sleeves up.

"What are you doing?" Mai asked as tears threatened to leak from her eyes.

"I'm going to beat some information out of him and give him a thorough thrashing that he's had coming for two years."

Mai reached out to grab her boyfriend's arm, but Ayako stopped her. "Why?" Mai asked the older woman.

"Sometimes this has to be done to get the information that's needed to save others. But don't worry I will put a stop to it if he goes too far,"

Oliver stepped up to Shinji, "Want to tell me why you wanted to kill Mai?"

Shinji said nothing but glared back at the other teen.

"Fine, have it your way," Oliver pulled his fist back and shot it into the other teens face. They all heard a crunch as Shinji's nose broke and red liquid dripped from his nose eliciting a metallic smell in the room.

A flurry of fists connected with different parts of Shinji's body, each one sounding harsher than the first. Oliver's pent up anger towards the boy came out with a vicious display. The main thoughts running through the raven-haired boy's head was how dare he hurt his Mai, how dare he try to poison Mai, and of course how dare he try to kill Mai. A red mist of anger hovered over his eyes and each successive punch to him sounded as though he were hitting a side of beef in a slaughterhouse.

He felt a hand on his shoulder as Shinji sagged and collapsed to the floor glancing up at the raven-haired boy and the red headed woman. "I think he's had enough," she knelt down, pulled out a tissue from her lab coat, and held it to his bleeding nose.

Oliver's breath came in and out of his chest hard and ragged. He still saw red when he stared at the boy from Mai's classroom.

Shinji jerked as Ayako set his broken nose and taped it into place. "Now are you going to tell us what we want to know?" her tone was sweet like honey dripping from a honeycomb.

"Yes," he whispered as she helped him to his feet and over to a chair. She moved over to the bathroom and wet a cloth and gently wiped his face off being careful of his nose and split lip.

She took a seat opposite him and noticed him wince as he shifted in his chair. "So the first question that comes to my mind why did you try to poison Mai with Anthrax?"

"The Master, he ordered it."

"Who is this master?"

"I don't know anyone besides Yanagi and the master's lieutenants have ever seen him," Shinji replied.

"Who gives your orders then?" she asked hoping to get more information from him about where the Panthers were located.

"Most of the time it's Yanagi though once or twice it was Kei."

Oliver turned to Gene, "This may be the break we've been looking for."

"I totally agree with you M."

Oliver perked up at Ayako's next question.

"So care to tell me why you're so fixated on Mai?"

Shinji snorted, "I can't stand her. She's an orphan who makes friends so quickly and she's so happy all the time." He turned his head in her direction. "How can you be so happy," he raged at her. "You get everything! I've tried to make my father happy but the last time he was at our school for the cultural festival all he could talk about was how nice you were and how I should strive to be like you." He spat on the floor.

"Shinji," Ayako caught his attention. "Do you know how Mai became an orphan? "

"No."

"She was five years old when she witnessed her own father shot down in front of her. She was thirteen when her mother died of illness. Since then she's been alone, until now. She now has a new family, and we all love her dearly because of who she is. We don't pity her, because, after her mother's death, a teacher took her in, but when the teacher was transferred, she was alone again except for her friends Keiko and Michiru. To say she's never met a stranger is true. Mai cares deeply for others, and believe it or not she even cares about you."

Mai stood and nodded, "That's true Shinji, and I'd like to be your friend if you'd allow me."

Shinji leaned over in his chair and held his head in his hands. "Why would you still want to be my friend after everything I've done?"

A lopsided smile crossed Gene's face, "That's just the way she is," he moved over to Mai and gave her noogie on the top of her head.

Oliver reached over and smacked Gene in the back of his head.

"Ow," Gene rubbed the back his head, "Why do you have to be so mean M?"

Oliver glared at Gene, "Just keep your hands off Mai."

Shinji actually chuckled at the display and he sighed, "I'm sorry for everything I've done. I know I'm in big trouble now." He sat back as he chewed on his bottom lip. He didn't know when it would go off but he didn't want his own family to get hurt. He had to tell them.

"Uhm… There's something you should know," he grabbed Ayako's hand and held it earnestly. "The Master ordered another squad to plant bombs at Shibuya Station. I don't know when they're going to go off, but please you have to find the explosives. My family uses Shibuya Station often to get to work and home along with my sisters who use it to go to school."

Ayako squeezed his hand, "I promise we'll do everything we can to stop it."

Madoka and her team reached the first-floor level. She peeked out the window and spotted two armed guards with their backs to her. She signaled using hand signals of what she was going to do, the other three women nodded.

The pinkish haired woman and Noriko slipped out the door. Noriko smacked the man in front of her with the butt end of her gun, effectively knocking him out.

Madoka tapped the other man on the back of his head with her rifle muzzle. As the man turned, he came face to face with the business end of her gun. She smiled sweetly, "Drop your weapons, cupcake." He did as she requested and Madoka directed him into the stairwell where the other women tied and gagged him. His partner they drug into the stairwell, tied, and gagged him too.

"I would prefer to get the hostages out of here with as little bloodshed as possible," Madoka addressed her team. "Just having men with guns in a building that's supposed to be a safe haven will be enough to give some people nightmares."

The other three women nodded. "So what do we do now?" Kasai asked.

Madoka smiled at the youngest and newest member of her team. "That my dear Watson is elementary. Stay here and keep an eye on our prisoners and break into their communications and keep me informed of their movements." The other three women exited the stairwell.

Chiaki pulled out a laptop and brushed a strand of her long black hair that fell out of her ponytail out of her eyes as the other three women left. Pulling out one of the walkie talkies off the two men she checked to see what frequency they were using. She fired up her program and set it to the same frequency but noted something odd. Then she realized they were using a jammer to keep all cell phone calls from coming into the hospital. "Well this sucks," she mumbled to herself, "people can call out, but no one can call in."

Madoka and her team found the waiting room by the emergency entrance filled to capacity with patients, several EMT's, nurses, doctors, and visitors all trying to stay calm. She looked through her scope spotting four Panthers that milled about the edges of the room. She frowned.

She moved over to the opposite side of the hall and glanced at the doors spotting two more panthers guarding the entrance. "This isn't going to be easy. We'll need a distraction to get the armed guards away from the hostages. I can take out the two at the doors," as she spoke, she pulled out a special silencer for her Bravo 51 Sniper rifle. She screwed it onto the end of the barrel of the deadly weapon and locked it into place.

She extended the legs of her rifle down, lay down on the floor, and adjusted the telescoping legs of the rifle to give her a slight incline so she wouldn't have to try to hold the weapon in place. She pulled out several pieces of the Lapua ammo out and slipped one into the chamber and five other into the ammo slots on the side of the butt end of the weapon. Placing her eye to the eyepiece of the scope, she slid the lever on the side of the rifle causing the piece of ammo to slide snugly into place in the firing chamber.

She took careful aim at the closer of the two guards. She sighted the man's head and then fired. She didn't watch the damage done as she expertly moved the lever expelling the spent cartridge and quickly replaced it with another cartridge that she pulled from the butt of the rifle.

The further of the two guards gasped as his comrade's face disintegrated. He gagged at the sight of the dripping blood as the man's body fell forward and slid down the locked door. He glanced around for a place to hide and stepped behind the plastic tree in the pot hoping it would provide enough cover.

Madoka sighted through her scope as the other man was trying to hide behind a potted plant while looking around for his partner's killer. As soon as his head popped out from behind the potted plant, Madoka carefully calculated the trajectory of the bullet and fired. The bullet escaped with a slight puff sound as it screamed on it's way striking the second man right between the eyes.

She turned her head to Suzuki, "Okay Suzuki, you're up but please don't blow up the hospital too." She climbed back to her feet and swung the telescoping legs back flush with the rifle's body.

Suzuki gaped at her leader. "Hey that was just one time and I was still new to the job." Suzuki placed her hands on her hips, "Will you ever let it just die?"

Madoka smiled as she chuckled, "Nope that's not going to happen." Madoka reached out and patted her friend on the shoulder. "It's too fun to tease you about it."

Suzuki let out a fake sob as she turned to Noriko for sympathy. Noriko giggled softly, "I'm glad it's you and not me."

Suzuki like a shadow moved carefully along the wall to keep from being spotted by the four men on the far side of the room. She crept up next to a trashcan and removed the lid. Suzuki placed a minuscule amount of explosive inside that would ignite the garbage and cause a fire. She noted that fire trucks were beginning to pull up and hoped they could get the Panthers separated from the hostages and get them to safety before anything else happened.

She set the fuse for three minutes and slipped behind a desk waiting for the makeshift fire to go off. She ducked down as the fuse caused the small explosive to blow the lid off and fire erupted from the can.

The guards turned at the noise over the blaring fire alarm. Two of them raced over to the trashcan to put out the fire only to be met by Suzuki. She trained her gun on them. "Going somewhere boy's? Now drop your weapons so you don't have to wind up like those two." She motioned to the two corpses by the door.

Seeing their bodies, the two men surrendered without much of a fight. Suzuki marched them back to where Chiaki was and the pair tied up and gagged their newest prisoners. "When you go back out tell Madoka there's at least 6 more that survived the firefight with the Ambassadors security personnel. At least five are on the way back down. The sixth one is heading up to the next floor looking for someone named Shinji."

"Okay, I'll tell her," Suzuki turned and rushed out of the room as they heard something smashing into the door from outside. Running up the hall and stopping next to Madoka, "We have another problem."

Madoka's head turned to glare at Suzuki. "What other problem?"

"There are at least six Panthers that survived the firefight with the Ambassador's security teams and are on their way back down, well five. A sixth one is heading up to the floor where Oliver's team is looking for another named Shinji."

"Okay get a flash bang ready and when our visitors show blind them."

Suzuki nodded.

The entrance doors swung open as several firefighters came rushing in to put out the fire. The other two guards ran out of the waiting room to stop them. Madoka stepped up behind one and shoved the barrel of her weapon into his back at the same time Noriko stuck her gun in the other guard's back. "Suck it up buttercup and drop your weapons," Madoka voice had lost its cheerfulness. She needed to warn Oliver.

Oliver glared at Shinji as he thought about the situation at hand. Shinji sat in the chair quietly talking to Mai, still apologizing for all the trouble he'd caused.

The younger of the Davis twins cleared his throat. "Shinji, I want to know if you're serious about making amends."

Shinji swallowed hard, "Yes I am." He turned to Mai and repeated for at least the twentieth time. "I'm truly sorry, Mai. If I had known, I wouldn't have done what I did."

Oliver glanced at Mai, "Mai, your intuition was spot on two years ago. How do you feel about him?"

She leaned back and stared at the boy from her classroom. "I believe him."

"Very well, I have a proposition for you."

"What's that?" the boy leaned forward in his chair as he winced from several bruised ribs.

"Turn informant and I guarantee that we'll put a good word in for you with the court systems."

Gene gasped at the words that came out of his brother's mouth, "Are you sure we can trust him?"

"Personally, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him, but this time, I'm relying on Mai's instincts which have never been wrong in these last two years." Oliver turned his gaze on his brother. "Got a problem with her instincts?"

Gene scratched at his scalp and glanced at his younger brother, "I do trust her instincts, but I don't trust him."

Mai shot up from her chair and stumbled as she tried to regain her balance.

Oliver chuckled as he caught her, "You should know better than to stand up so fast in your condition, dummy. You're still weak."

She glared at Gene, "I trust him."

Shinji's walkie-talkie squawked to life. "Shinji, this operation is over. I'm coming up to get you."

The boy looked to the others, "What do I do now? He's going to know I didn't kill Mai."

Oliver smirked at the boy, "It's time to get creative. Now here's the plan…"

Suzuki brushed her almost chocolate brown hair out of her face as she set up a series of tripwires to some flash bang grenades around the entrance to the elevator.

She raced over to Madoka, "Flash bangs, and tripwires in place. They'll hit it as soon as they step off the elevator."

"Good, now go get Chiaki and our other prisoners and escort them out to the police. I spotted Takigawa from Section 9 outside tell him to get his behind in gear and escort the hostages to safety. If this gets ugly, I don't want innocents in the way."

Suzuki nodded and ran down the hall to get Chiaki.

Takigawa and his people gazed at the entrance as two of the women from the MI5 team led out live prisoners. "Guys looks like we finally have a break and have some prisoners to interrogate." He turned to his friend from the local police, "Hattori do me a favor and put those men in lockup. I'll be by later to personally interrogate them."

"Ha, you just want to flex your muscles in front of my men."

Takigawa flashed a crooked grin Hattori's way, "You wound me by making me sound so vain."

Hattori chuckled, "Well that's always been your mode us Operandi ever since we were partners on the force. You were always the glory hound."

Takigawa held a hand over his heart as if he was struck by his friend's words. "Hattori you will never change."

Hattori chuckled, "Neither will you." He turned to several officers, "Get these men to the station. No one questions them until after Section 9 has done so. Do I make myself clear?"

Several yes sirs were heard from the crowd.

As Takigawa strode away, Hattori chuckled again then rolled his eyes, and mumbled to himself, "Public service what a joy."

Madoka and Noriko glanced at the elevator as the car flashed one and doors began to open both ducked and covered their ears. A series of bright lights flashed and loud booms sounded simultaneous as the terrorists fell into the trap.

The pair of women rounded up the men and disarmed them quickly before their senses cleared. They forced them over to the doorway and turned them over to the police. Madoka glanced upstairs and hoped that Oliver knew what was coming his way.

Oliver turned to the others, "Okay time to make a lot of noise."

Shinji screamed at Oliver as if in anger while Lin and Gene threw furniture around the room making it sound like a major fight as the panther stepped out of the stairwell.

Ayako let out a scream, as a piece of furniture came close to her head and Gene smiled apologetically as he avoided the red head to keep from being killed.

"Remember," Oliver hissed, "This needs to look real so the Panthers don't question you."

The Panther stepped out of the stairwell as he heard a series of explosions from below.

The door to Mai's room splintered as a body that the Panther at the end of the hall recognized as Shinji, went flying out and slammed into the wall. Oliver pulled the trigger on Betsy twice sending two shots into the wall by the boy who took off running down the hall as fast as his feet could carry him.

"What happened? Did you kill the girl?"

Shinji shook his head as the pair ran down the stairs. "No, I didn't expect the room to be filled with a team of guards, but I was able to fool them into thinking I would play nice and was able to learn their plans. Then when they were distracted, I jumped the leader and we fought and then you showed up."

Oliver turned to Lin, "Is the watch working."

Lin nodded, "Yes, we'll be able to hear everything that goes on in the Panthers HQ."

"Good. Hopefully, after we get rid of the bombs at Shibuya Station, we can find their base of operations and their Master and put an end to this."

"What do we do now?" Mai asked from her hospital bed and glanced around at the destruction done to her room.

Ayako stormed up to the younger twin as she thrust her face into his and her flushed as red as a fire engine. "Just how the hell am I going to explain all this damage to my parents?" she punctuated each word with her finger as she poked him in the chest.

"Turn the bill over to my father, Martin Davis," Oliver spoke as he moved her hand out of the way.

"That might appease them, but did you really have to wreck the room?"

Oliver nodded, "For appearances sake, yes. We needed them to believe that he is still loyal to the Panthers. However, we have no idea when those bombs will go off and we need to get to Shibuya Station, so if you would please stay with Mai, I'd appreciate it."

She sighed as she threw her hands up in the air and let them fall to her sides. "Fine, I'll stay."

He bowed sincerely, "Thank you." He turned to his brother and friend, "Let's go."

"Oliver," Mai called out from her bed, "Be careful."

He stopped mid-stride and turned his towards her. "I will count on it," he winked at her before he turned and raced after his brother and Lin.

Madoka glanced about at her team's handiwork as Takigawa approached. "I assume the pair by the front door was your work."

She nodded, "Yes, I didn't want to risk having any of the hostages killed."

"I appreciate that."

They heard a noise from the stairwell and turned to find Oliver, Gene, and Lin racing toward them.

Madoka smiled at them, "Where's the fire?"

Suzuki groaned feeling another barb coming on.

Gene raced to Madoka and embraced her, "Oh, Honey, I was so worried about you."

Lin glared in Gene's direction.

She shoved Gene away, "Do I look like Bo Derrick to you?"

Before he could say anything else, Oliver reached out and smacked his brother. "Say goodnight Bond."

"Goodnight Bond?"

Oliver sighed then turned to Takigawa. "Please ignore my brother. We need to get to Shibuya Station immediately. I have it on good authority that the Panthers are planning on bombing the station to try to make the government bow to their demands."

Takigawa immediately got on his walkie-talkie demanding that Section 9 get packed and ready to leave.

Madoka turned to Kasai, "Chiaki, go upstairs and stay with Mai."

A series of cars and vans along with police cars raced through the streets of Tokyo with sirens blaring as vehicles moved to get out of their way. Takigawa and his people jumped out of several cars as Oliver and the MI-5 group hopped out of two vans.

Hattori and his people moved in to get the people milling about heading for trains to either get on their trains or out of Shibuya Station as quickly as possible.

Takigawa hearing the all clear turned to Yasu, "Okay, Yasuhara time for you and Bella to earn your keep."

Yasu nodded as he finished putting on some protective gear. "Come on Bella, time to earn our pay."

Bella glanced up at her handler and replied with a deep, "Woof," as she stood and Yasu led her into the station. He removed her leash, "Bella seek."

Bella quickly moved through the station and then stopped by a trash can. She sat down and whined as she stood by the can. He moved over next to her and hefted the lid off to find a bomb counting down set to go off in three hours."

He motioned towards Takigawa pointing out the bombs location and gave him the signal for the bomb squad. He pat Bella on her head, "Good girl, let's find some more. Seek Bella seek."

Bella started walking away and stopped at another trashcan. "Woof." He motioned again at the next one. They continued searching the area finding as many as ten trashcans with bombs inside.

He and Bella rejoined Takigawa as the bomb squad worked furiously to defuse all the bombs.

"It appears the information you received was correct, care to tell me where it came from?" Takigawa eyed Oliver.

"Turns out it was a classmate of Mai's who we were able to turn into an informant."

Gene snorted, "Informant hell, M you let 006 go…" he glared at his brother. "We all know from Goldeneye that 006 is deadly and he will destroy the world if we let him go."

Gene grumbled again, under Oliver's stare, "I still don't trust him…" he pouted.

Takigawa cocked an eyebrow at Gene, "I see you haven't changed any."

Gene grinned at the tawny haired man, "Nope."

Shinji strolled down the halls of the Panther base looking for any information that would help his cause. Yanagi had a woman dressed in black pressed against the wall. He stroked her face in what looked to be a tender moment until she came up with a gun from her hip and placed it under Yanagi's chin.

"Get your hands off me you piece of idiotic scum," her voice rose in anger. "I'll kill the Prime Minister for your Master, and then I owe you people nothing more. Then I can continue with my search for the Taniyama girl." She shoved him away from her and strode down the hallway.

Seeing Shinji with the results of Oliver's beating adorning his face she noticed how young he was. She glanced at him, "Let me give you a piece of advice. If you want to keep on breathing, you should get away from these people or you'll die along with them. I can see the end is coming and these idiots just don't know it."

He swallowed hard as he stammered to answer, "Y-Yes Ma'am."

She brushed her white as snow bangs out of her eyes, "Don't call me Ma'am. You can either call me Alice or The Ethiopian."

He fought to keep his facial expression devoid of any shock or surprise. This woman killed Mai's father.

She gave him no more notice as she started walking again, moving away from him Shinji released the breath he held. Now he knew he had some information that Oliver would want. Hopefully, this would be enough to keep his neck out of a noose.

The following day Mai was released from the hospital and lounged on her couch. Madoka and her team had set up residence in the lab and Chiaki were monitoring communications when she received a coded message.

She quickly decoded the message and turned to Madoka, who was cleaning her sniper rifle. "Madoka, we just got a message from Oliver's informant."

Oliver hearing his name strode over to the girl. "What is it?"

Madoka nodded for Chiaki to turn it over, and she handed it to the younger of the Davis twins. He read it and his eyes narrowed. "Lin, check with Takigawa and find out when the Prime Minister is holding his Gala to benefit impoverished children. Tell him that he needs to beef up security, The Ethiopian is targeting the Prime Minister."

Madoka turned to Lin, "See if we can get on the guest list, if not get Takigawa to let us in." She turned to Oliver with a gleam in her eye, "Alice is mine."

Two days later Oliver with Mai on his arm as his date got out of a Limo followed by Gene with Keiko on his arm. Keiko giggled as she leaned into Gene, "Wow I've never been to something this extravagant." She smoothed the skirt of her formal dress, and nervously checked her hair and makeup for the umpteenth time.

Gene lowered his face to her ear, "Don't worry my dear, you look lovely."

Mai silently agreed with Gene's assessment of her friend, while she worried at her lower lip. Her own dress, a powder blue in color with thin straps and low cut back made her feel a bit uncomfortable. Not to mention the small gun that sat in a holster strapped to her upper thigh. Her hair was woven into a small braid that wrapped around her head with small periwinkle colored flowers interwoven into the braid.

Oliver leaned over, "Relax Mai, remember we're here to stop the Ethiopian from carrying out the Panthers plan." His breath tickled her ear causing a blush to form on her cheeks.

As they entered the building via the red carpet, a throng of people who crowded the floor met them. Each couple caught up in their mundane conversations with friends or co-workers.

Huge chandeliers dangled from the ceiling precariously as a band played in the background. Waiters moved through the crowd offering guests hors d'oeurves and glasses of champagne.

Oliver noted that John Brown was dressed as a waiter while Takigawa and Ayako mingled in the crowd near where the prime minister stood talking with several of his constituents. He spotted Yasu as he and Masako moved through the crowd. He figured half of Section 9 was here in some capacity or another.

Gene's eyes slid over the crowd fluidly as he scanned for threats.

Unseen in a balcony overlooking the festivities below, a figure sighted through a sniper rifle got a glimpse of her target the prime minister. She caught sight of someone else in her scope and noticed it was Oliver with Mai on his arm.

She smiled to herself, now she could catch two birds with one shot. In the confusion after killing the prime minister, she'd grab the girl and kill Oliver Davis.

A glint caught her eye and bringing the rifle up she caught sight of someone aiming directly at her from another balcony. "Madoka," Alice spat as she dropped below the rail out of sight. "Damn it," she swore as she considered her options. "Time to drop out of sight for a while," she muttered to herself as she crept away from her hiding place.

"Dammit," Madoka slammed a hand into the balcony rail. "I almost had that white haired bitch." She pulled out her radio and sent a signal to Noriko, who was dressed as a server for the upcoming dinner. "She got away. Notify Noll and Takigawa."

Oliver leaned over to Mai as they sat at a table while Gene danced the night away with Keiko. He placed a hand on her arm, "Are you okay?"

Mai reached up and took his hand in hers and smiled, "I'm fine, just a bit tired. I guess I'm still regaining my strength."

"Yes," he smiled as he leaned over and brushed her cheek with his hand. She leaned into the touch and closed her eyes.

"Mai, I…" he began to speak until Gene clasped his shoulder with his hand.

"Hey little bro, aren't you going to dance with Mai?"

Oliver glared at his brother for interrupting his moment. "Mai's tired, so really we need to go."

Keiko smiled up at Gene who flashed a smile in return. "Guess we wore out the old fogeys," his smile grew. He leaned over and whispered in Keiko's ear, "Seriously, would you like to be my girl?"

She giggled as she gazed up at him, "Kazuhiro, I would love to be your girl."

Mai sighed as she glanced at her friend, "You know you're going to have to deal with all of his Bond jokes."

"I think that's what makes him so endearing."

Gene smiled at Mai and Oliver, "She finds me endearing."

Oliver smirked but followed the smile with a frown. "He's going to be insufferable now."

Several days later Shinji came around to Mai's desk as the twins sat on either side of her. "I have some news you might want to hear. The Master isn't pleased that Mai wasn't killed or the Ambassadors. He's planning something big, but Yanagi hasn't said what it is."

Mai smiled up at the boy while Oliver had a look of boredom on his face and Gene just glared at the other boy.

Keiko and Michiru stared at the quartet noticing that Shinji wasn't bullying Mai anymore and she was actually smiling. The pair of girls just stared and as Shinji turned and saw their eyes on him he glared at them, "What?"

"Nothing," the girls spoke at once.

Oliver was still a little peeved at his brother for spoiling the moment he had wanted to share with Mai. While at school he always had an audience, and at Mai's house there was no peace especially with Madoka teasing him every chance she got. He sighed and wondered when he would get another chance again.

To say Takigawa was frustrated would be an understatement. Even after talking to the prisoners of the attack on the hospital, none had talked to give up either their hideout or their so-called fearless leader.

Mai couldn't stop thinking about the night of the gala when Naru caressed her cheek. He started to say something but Gene had interrupted and since there was no other mention of it. She hoped he would soon tell her what he wanted.

Madoka found Mai sitting at the kitchen table working on homework. "Mai, would you like to go shopping with me?"

Mai's head rose from the book she was reading, "What do we need to go shopping for?"

Madoka's smile grew, "Well the twin's birthday is next week, and we should probably figure out what we're going to get them."

Mai smiled, "Well we're going to have to pick up Keiko too since she and Gene are officially an item now since the Prime Minister's Gala."

Madoka's eyes brightened, "Really? I wonder what brought that on."

Mai snorted, "She likes his James Bond jokes and in her words she finds them, 'endearing.'"

"Heaven help the girl. She'll grow tired of them one day."

"I wish," the younger girl sighed as the pair exited the house.

After a couple of hours of shopping, Mai and Madoka returned home to find Gene waiting on them. "Where have you two been?" he asked as tried to look in the bags they carried.

"We went shopping, Gene," Madoka smiled at the older of the pair of twins who at the moment reminded her of a ten-year-old trying to sneak a peek at their Christmas presents.

"No we didn't buy anything for your birthday, so stop trying to find anything," Mai placed her hands on her hips.

Madoka winked at Mai, "We did, however, buy something for dinner tonight so if you really want to eat, shoo."

Gene scrambled out of the room and fled to the safety of the lab below ground.

Mai sighed as she turned to Madoka, "I'm so glad we decided to leave their gifts with Keiko."

Madoka giggled, "You forget I know these two very well. Even though Oliver says he doesn't care about his birthday he deep down does though Gene is the one who gets so excited about it."

Both women continued to talk about the differences between Gene and Oliver as they prepared the evening meal.

Once the food was prepared and set on the table, Mai picked up the phone in the kitchen and called down to the lab for the others to come up and eat.

The others soon joined Mai and Madoka when the phone rang. The younger girl rose to answer when Oliver stopped her. "Sit down and eat, I'll answer."

"Aww so my little brother does have a heart," Gene chuckled.

"Gene," Madoka shot the older twin a glare. "You don't have to tease him about it all the time."

Gene stuck his bottom lip out as he pouted, "You tease him all the time."

Madoka smiled, "I'm older, it's my job to keep him on his toes."

Oliver returned to the table, "That was Takigawa. We got a break and a location on the Panthers base. He's preparing to assault the building in the morning. He wants us to join them."

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence as everyone thought about what may happen the following day.

The mood was somber in the Taniyama home as Mai and the MI5 personnel donned body armor, weapons, flash bang grenades, Lin even had the tear gas grenades.

Oliver turned to Mai, "Stay by my side," he whispered in her ear and she nodded as everyone began to head out of the house.

They pulled up in front of the Section 9 building and joined Takigawa as he went over the plans for the building. "Are you sure this is the right place?" Yasuhara glanced at his boss.

"Yes, I'm sure." He pointed to the blueprint, "Before World War II, this building used to be a hotel in what used to be an affluent portion of Tokyo. Now it's a slum filled with gangs, prostitution, drugs, and now homegrown terrorists.

"We have no idea what kind of changes they've made inside but we need to bottle them up in there and surrender if possible." He pointed to the roof. "I have a special team being flown in that will land on the roof and work their way down. My group will head in through the front entrance." He glanced up at Oliver, "I would like your team to head in through the back door."

Oliver leaned over the desk as he looked at the buildings blueprints. "Has anything changed within the building?"

Takigawa shrugged his shoulders, "Your guess is as good as mine. What about your informant?"

"We have no time to tell him about the attack. So he'll have to fend for himself."

Mai gasped, as his words sunk in.

Oliver shook his head, "I'm sorry Mai, but we don't have any way of contacting him to let him know other than school."

"I have it," Gene cried out. "Moneypenny, though I still dislike the boy, didn't he give you his cell phone number at the hospital."

Mai blushed as she pulled her phone out of a pocket. "Yeah, he did," she scrolled through her contacts and found his number. She hit speed dial and heard him answer. "Listen, don't say anything to anyone, but get out of there."

Shinji heard his cell phone ring and he pulled it out of his pocket. The number that came across was anonymous. "Hello?" He could hear Mai's voice on the other end, she sounded frantic as she told him to get out of there.

"Why?"

Mai sighed, "Don't ask stupid questions Shinji. We now know where the base is."

Realization hit him, "Okay, mom I'm sorry. I'll be home immediately."

He turned around to find Yanagi looking at him with a strange look on his face. "Who was that?"

"My mother, she said my dad is sick and she needs me to come home."

Yanagi considered himself to be a bit of a handsome man and he had taken a liking to Alice while she was there, but he witnessed the conversation that had taken place between Shinji and Alice after she had rejected his advances. His jealousy was reaching a boiling point. "Are you certain it wasn't Alice wanting a visit from her boy toy?"

"Look, I don't know why you think she would have anything to do with me. I'm just in high school."

"I think you're lying."

Shinji shook his head and put his phone away. "Guess what you're delusional." He turned and walked away from the man.

Shinji stepped out into the sunlight as he saw several cars and a couple of vans head to the back of the building. He ducked into an alley to see if it was possible, he could help. He heard the sound of rotors whirring from above and saw a huge chopper hover over the roof as several men in military gear dropped from ropes.

"Wow, when Mai said it was going down, she didn't lie."

Mai hopped out of the van next to Oliver. He couldn't help but see the worried expression on her face. "It'll be okay, just stay with me."

"I hope your right, but I have a terrible feeling about this," She spoke quietly as she stood next to him. Her stomach heaved slightly as her inner voice told her to run.

As they approached the door to the back, entrance Madoka noticed it was locked. "Suzuki, get your fanny up here and blow this door but not the building."

Suzuki sighed as she glared at her team leader. Pulling open a package of C-4, which looked grayish in color and had the consistency of silly putty. She molded some into the lock then put two more small gobs onto the hinges, and placed fuses into them and set the timers on all for a couple of minutes. The door gave a little shudder and groaned as a series of small explosions blew the door enough so it fell out the doorframe and landed on the ground.

Everyone entered the room finding a huge kitchen area with new appliances decorating the room, but it was empty. Scanning the room with their eyes, no one saw anyone around. They moved to the kitchen entrance finding a hallway that split into two directions. Madoka motioned for her team to go left while Oliver's went right.

Oliver found another fork where the hallways divided. He motioned for Lin and Gene to go left while he and Mai continued to the right. Oliver and Mai both had their handguns out as they reached the end of the hall to find a set of stairs heading up.

The sounds of gunfire from above reached his ears, turning to Mai he whipered, "Sounds like the team from the roof ran into some resistance."

"Oliver something's been bothering me. Why hasn't this guy, the master, ever done anything himself?"

He chuckled, "That's easy because he's a coward. See it's usually rare that you'll find the one who issues the orders to actually risk their own skin, take the Ethiopian for example. She gave the orders but, in the end, she actually came after you and then she got caught."

"Yeah, but these idiots broke her out of prison and she's still after me," Mai frowned.

Oliver leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek, "Don't worry Mai, I will always protect you."

She smiled up at him, and the pair started climbing the stairs to the next floor.

The Master was not happy. "Kei get the Ethiopian back here to protect me," he screamed as sounds of gunfire were coming closer to his inner sanctum.

"She told me to tell you to rot in hell, you scum sucking dog." Kei shrugged her shoulders, "Her words not mine."

"Stupid cow, how dare she insult me after what we did for her and broke her out of prison!"

No one answered as he complained.

Takigawa's people met heavy resistance as they entered through the front. Two Panthers tried to flank Takigawa's group and received two expertly thrown knives between the eyes.

Yasu and John both came under heavy fire but managed to get several to run. Ayako was outside tending to wounded officers when Hattori arrived with several officers in tow. "Sorry, we're late."

Ayako glared up at the police officers, "Just go through there, and join the party." She indicated the front door.

Hattori smiled, "Don't mind if I do." He and his officers ran in reinforcing Takigawa's line.

Shinji caught sight of a person moving through the shadows and saw a flash of white hair that at first he thought he imagined it. "Alice," he muttered to himself and entered the building following her. "If she's here then she's after Mai."

Lin and Gene found another set of stairs at the end of their hallway and slowly climbed the stairs. Taking a step on the landing, they found another corridor and followed it, only to walk straight into a panther ambush. Gene threw a flash bang and Lin threw a tear gas grenade. Both moved to the side as the blinded Panthers whose eyes now watered from the tear gas dropped their weapons.

Both agents pulled on gas masks and tied up their prisoners and left them crying as Lin and Gene continued down the hall.

Mai and Oliver stepped out onto the landing as the gunfire from above sounded closer. "I believe we should start expecting heavy resistance."

Mai nodded at his words as they crept down the hall. They found room to their left and Oliver opened it noting it looked as if it was a staging area for arming troops. They didn't hear the quiet footfalls of Panthers who now had the pair trapped.

"Look what we have here," one of the Panthers crowed. "Drop your weapons kiddies and we'll trade you for our freedom."

Oliver knocked a massive desk over and pulled Mai down beside him. She pulled at a flash bang and lobbed the grenade over the desk and the pair ducked down covering their ears as the device boomed.

Before they could even think of stepping out from behind the desk, the blinded and deafened Panthers were mowed down in front of them by automatic weapon fire. "We meet again, Oliver."

"Will you ever give up, Alice," he sighed.

"Just hand the girl over and I'll let you live."

"Not on your life," Oliver growled as he fired several shots at the woman who dove away from the doorframe.

She aimed at him and fired. The Teflon coated bullet that escaped her gun, nicknamed a cop killer, slammed into the bulletproof armor Oliver wore and slammed into his shoulder and escaped out his back and slammed into the wall behind him.

Oliver lost his grip on his gun as he fell backward on the floor gripping at his shoulder as blood began to flow from both sides of the wound. He ground his teeth together.

"Taniyama get over here or I swear the next one goes through his heart," the white-haired woman threatened.

Oliver with Mai's help sat up leaning against the wall, "Mai, I wanted to tell you at the Gala," he whispered as he raised his right hand now covered in his blood and caressed her cheek. He swallowed hard trying to fight the pain. "I-I love you, Mai."

"I love you too," she felt her heart swell as she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"What will it be Taniyama?" Alice yelled at Mai, who heard the click of a gun.

Mai turned away from Oliver placing herself between him and the woman who killed her father, who tried to kidnap her, and who now was threatening to kill the man she loved. She gripped her gun tightly in hand and stood to take a shooters stance. "No, I refuse Alice." She squeezed the trigger on her gun as it fired towards her enemy. "I won't let you kill him!" she screamed as she squeezed off the entire clip at the woman with several shots hitting and knocking her foe backward.

She quickly ejected the clip and replaced it with another one with a clicking sound. Alice returned to the doorframe. "Fine have it your way, but I won't stop until I know your father's secrets."

"Think again," Alice turned to the new voice and found Shinji standing there. He fired several rounds that knocked her back, her own bulletproof armor protecting her but each one felt like a light kick from a mule and she knew that tomorrow she'd be bruised.

As she hit the floor, she glared at the boy. "I see your pretty stupid siding with them. Shame too, I thought you had some brains." She fired her gun and Shinji tried to duck but failed as the trajectory of the bullet entered through his side smashing into his pelvis and grazing his spine before embedding itself into the pelvic bone on the other side. Shinji gasped from the pain as Alice regained her feet. She cocked her gun, "Sorry boy but this is where we part ways permanently," she began to squeeze the trigger when a bullet flew from nowhere and hit her in the temple and plowed its way through her brain as her hair flew backward and her body dropped to the floor in a heap.

"I told you, Alice, you were mine," Madoka growled as she moved towards the boy.

She knelt down next to the young man, "You know that wasn't the smartest thing to do to take on an international assassin by yourself." As she applied a pressure bandage to his wound and glanced into the room seeing Mai finally being able to do the same to Oliver now that all the shooting had stopped.

Shinji nodded as he slid his eyes towards Mai helping Oliver to stand. "I think they appreciate it, though. Although you killed her so now, Mai can be happy." He gnashed his teeth together as he was hit by a wave of pain combined with nausea. The last words he coherently heard before darkness overcame him, "Shinji, stay with me."

Mai helped Oliver outside as Gene and Lin ran over to him. Lin examined the wound and was surprised that the body armor hadn't held up.

Oliver snorted, "It wouldn't stand up to a cop killer."

Gene gasped, "Who was using illegal ammo?"

The younger brother glared at his brother, "Who else, Alice."

"You didn't let her live did you," Lin couldn't help himself to ask.

"No, she's dead," Madoka spoke as she came out of the building walking next to a stretcher that bore an unconscious Shinji. She pointed at the boy, "He stopped her but she shot him and I killed her." Her eyes are filled with moisture as she threw herself into Lin's arms. "If he walks again, it'll be a miracle."

Everyone heard the phrase if he walks again. Gene swallowed an enormous lump in his throat.

Hattori, Takigawa, and their people exited the building with prisoners in tow. Takigawa approached the MI5 group and pointed to a small rotund man with slick backed hair. "That's the master, Reimei Minami." He glanced down at his feet. "I want to thank you all for your help in shutting the Panthers down."

Mai smiled up at Takigawa as Oliver answered for them all. "It was our pleasure shutting them down and the cherry on top is the death of Alice Blanc."

Takigawa nodded as prisoners were taken away. Madoka turned to glare at Oliver. "I thought I taught you better…" she began.

Oliver whispered into Mai's ear, "Help me to an ambulance."

Mai giggled as Madoka continued to rant as the pair of young people moved to an ambulance.

Epilogue:

Mai, Keiko, Michiru, Oliver, Gene, and now Shinji who sat in a wheelchair sat underneath the sakura tree enjoying their lunch. "So girls," Gene sat in between Keiko and Michiru as usual, "is there anything new?"

Michiru's eyes slid down to her feet, "Shuuya broke up with me."

Keiko hopped up from her seat and threw her arms around her friend, "Why?"

"He's jealous of the time we spend with Kazuhiro, Mai, and Kazuya."

Shinji rolled his wheelchair over. "I'm really sorry to hear that Michiru. You're a beautiful girl and don't need to be treated that way."

"You think so?" she asked as she looked at the boy in the wheelchair.

"Yes, I do. I would have asked you out myself, but at the time I was clouded by my own jealousy but now I understand."

"So does this mean…"

Keiko stepped up behind the dark headed girl and rocked back and forth on her heels with an innocent look on her face, and finally having enough of her friends bit of stubbornness she shoved her friend who flew into Shinji's arms as her lips touched Shinji's.

Michiru was going to apologize for her friend's rudeness, but Shinji smiled and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

"Of course, I will!"

As the bell rang for dismissal, Mai got Keiko and Michiru to go with her as Oliver and Eugene walked down the hall with Shinji. Oliver still had his arm in a sling supporting his shoulder wound. Eugene pushed Shinji's wheelchair, and he cleared his throat. "Shinji, I'd like to apologize for not believing you had a change of heart."

Shinji stopped his wheelchair, "I'm sorry for everything I did, and I hope that you can believe my sincerity."

Gene chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "Yes, I do and to make it up to you I'd like to invite you to our birthday party tomorrow."

Oliver sighed, "It wasn't your idea it was Mai's." He stopped glaring at his brother. "I want to thank you too for what you did, and I have a surprise for you." He pulled out of his book bag a ticket and handed it to him. "My parents read the report of everything you did and they agreed."

Shinji looked up at Oliver stumped as he opened it and found several tickets. "What's this?"

"Well, a lot of the doctors here think you'll never walk again. However, there has been some success with an experimental stem cell surgery that has had some success in giving patients who were paralyzed some of their mobility back, and these are for you and family. The hospital is in Okinawa and they know you're coming in two days, my parents made all the arrangements."

Shinji wiped at his eyes, "Thank you," he whispered.

Gene couldn't stop himself from flitting around Mai's home like a hummingbird looking for more pollen. He was literally driving Mai crazy. "Madoka will you do something with him, please."

Madoka glared at the eighteen-year-old, "Eugene A.J. Davis, stop harassing Mai or I'll call your mother and she'll say to come home."

Eugene stopped and stared at Madoka, "You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, wouldn't I? I will," and to make him a believer she pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and began to press numbers.

Oliver chose that moment to enter the kitchen as Mai was working on fixing party foods and the birthday cake for the twins. "Gene, I need your assistance with something."

Gene turned to face his brother, "Madoka's threatening to call mother and send me home."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing, I swear."

Madoka snorted, "Nothing my foot. He's been bothering Mai about when the party starts today."

Oliver frowned, "Gene I really need your help with something," he reached out with his good hand and grabbed his brother by the arm and pulled him downstairs with him.

Several hours passed as Madoka and Mai with help from Noriko and Suzuki finished the preparations for the party. A knock sounded on her door and she went to the living room and opened the door to find Keiko, Michiru, and Shinji at the door.

Mai opened the door and allowed them in. She smiled brightly at her friends, "Make yourselves at home, I need to go change. I've been cooking all day, and Keiko try to control Gene if you can he's been totally outrageous."

The party went off without a hitch with the MI5 people and the Section 9 people stopped by to celebrate with them. After the cutting of the cake and Eugene's giddiness to get to his gifts, he opened Keiko's first and found the game he had wanted. Mai smiled at Gene, "I told her that's what you wanted."

Gene opened the gift from Madoka and nearly fell out of his chair, "Is this what I think it is," he asked as he caressed the cover with reverence.

Madoka chuckled, "Yes it's the first edition of Casino Royale."

Gene held the book up to his face and nuzzled it. "I'm so happy."

Mai shoved her gift in front of him. His eyes shifted her way as he smiled, "Don't you think the box is a little big for a set of keys?"

Oliver glanced her way, "You didn't did you?" he mouthed.

She shook her head, "No," she mouthed back.

Gene opened the package and looked down at the model of an Aston Martin that Sean Connery drove in Goldfinger. His expression fell, "Really Mai, I was hoping for the real thing."

Mai giggled as she glared at him, "I'm sorry, but I can't get my hands on 4.9 million dollars in American money for it. So you'll have to make do with that."

Gene gave her his lopsided smile, "That's fine Moneypenny. Just gives me more reasons to bug you again for the real thing."

She rolled her eyes as she shoved her gift into Oliver's hands, "I hope you like it."

He opened the small box and found a set of gold diamond studded cufflinks. "Thank you, Mai," he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

Mai smiled, "There's even a spy camera built into one of the cufflinks."

He opened Madoka's next, which was a ball cap that read, 'I told you to duck.' She giggled at his expression, "How'd I know when I bought you'd get shot." She chuckled.

He rolled his eyes as he opened several more presents. The two now eighteen-year-olds decided now was as good a time as any to make their announcement. They both stood and Gene went and retrieved Oliver's laptop and fired the small computer up and opened the voice chat to find their parents staring back at them.

"Mother, Father," he yanked Gene over with his good arm. "We have an announcement to make. We will not pursue a career in MI5."

He expected his parents to make a fuss but was slightly surprised when his mother nodded her head. "We were informed by Madoka. In a way I'm glad, but what are you planning on doing?"

"We're going to start a firm that helps people with their security problems, kind of like consultants and we can still provide protection for Mai. We'd also like to be affiliated with both MI5 and Section 9."

Martin nodded, "Sounds reasonable enough."

Luella released the breath that she was holding. "Now I won't have to worry about you boys getting hurt or killed. I must insist though that you two return home for Christmas and New Year's."

"Thank you, mother, father," Oliver closed the program and the party resumed.

Life continued and days melded into months until the big day came for them to take their first steps into a bigger world. After the entire class had received their diplomas, Mai noticed that Michiru seemed to be extra excited.

The principal spoke to settle everyone down. "I have a special announcement to make." Quiet settled over the throng as the principal started to talk again. "We have a student who has made strides in overcoming a personal disaster and worked hard so he could graduate with his class, Shinji Soto."

Not a sound was heard as metal creaked as a couple of steps were taken. Shinji stepped up on the stage as his arms shook a little as he supported his weight. He took several more slow steps when the entire graduating class erupted into wild applause and whistles.

Michiru dabbed at her eyes wiping the tears of joy. The separation that the pair had made was almost unbearable for them both, but they had promised each other that they would see each other once he returned.

Finally, the new graduates were released from the torture to their ears about the paths down the road of life they would be taking from boring speakers. The small group of friends gathered around Shinji. Gene was the first to clap him on the back. "It's good to see you up and walking again."

Shinji smiled back, "Well if your parents hadn't paid for it, I would still be stuck in a wheelchair."

Michiru reached out and hugged her boyfriend, "I'm so glad your back."

He smiled down at her and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I'm happy to be back."

Keiko and Mai just smiled at the pair as Oliver placed his arm around Mai's shoulders.

Lin joined them. The woman hugged both her sons. "I'm so happy for you all." She reached out and gave Mai a hug too, and smiled at Keiko as Gene introduced her to his mother. Luella bowed to Shinji, "Thank you for doing what you did. You possibly saved my youngest son's life."

Shinji bowed back. "I should be thanking you."

Martin chuckled, "Luella will not hear a word of it."

The group turned away and went to a restaurant for a small celebration party. The following day the Davis's were on their way back to England.

That fall they started college. Maybe it was Mai's wishful thinking but during their first year of college, Gene proposed to Keiko and they were married during their winter break. One-half of the Shibuya fan club was heartbroken.

The second year of college Shinji proposed to Michiru and they married the following year. Michiru and Shinji moved into a small apartment that was close to the university but not on campus to give them privacy.

Gene moved Keiko into Mai's house much to Oliver's annoyance.

One day during their third year of university, Oliver approached Mai, "Let's go out for dinner tonight and let Keiko and Gene fend for themselves."

Mai smiled at him. "Okay, it'll be nice to get away from them for a while."

Oliver chuckled, "I know, he's getting insufferable with his Bond jokes." He gave her a peck on the cheek, "I'll pick you up after your last class."

She smiled again as he walked away, only to endure some glares from the other half of the Shibuya fan club. Mai shook her head and went back to her studies.

Several hours later Oliver picked Mai up and they drove around for a while as Mai enjoyed the scenery of the passing trees as they drove higher up into the mountains. He parked the car in a slot in a car park where no one was around.

He pulled out a basket and blanket from the trunk of the car along with a bottle of sparkling white grape juice. "I know it's not wine, but since I'm driving, I don't want to be pulled over."

"I don't blame you," she smiled as she took a seat on the blanket he spread out to give them a view of Tokyo with all the lights sparkling like diamonds on the ground.

He set out food on the blanket and poured the juice into a couple of wine glasses, as they ate he couldn't help but smile at her. As they finished, she leaned up against him with her head on his shoulder. "I could do this over and over again," she whispered wistfully.

"Mai," turned to her, "I know I don't say it enough but I love you, and honestly I wouldn't be able to breathe without you by my side." He pulled out a small black velvet box and opened the lid as dropped to one knee in front of her. "This ring belonged to my grandmother, and I would be honored if you wear it. So what I'm trying to say is Mai Taniyama would you do me the honor of becoming my wife."

She threw her arms around him and kissed him deeply as tears sprang to her eyes. "Yes, I will, but I do have a condition. Unlike Gene and Shinji I would like to wait until the weapons lab is up and running and your new business venture is off the ground."

He chuckled and he pulled her into an embrace as they sat enjoying the view. "You must have read my mind because I was going to suggest the same thing."

The following day at school was a heartbreaking one when the other half of the Shibuya fan club overheard Mai telling Michiru and Keiko how her now fiancée had proposed. Oliver shrugged as he thought he heard hearts breaking all over the campus.

Graduation day came and the group of friends enjoyed their graduation day. The next few weeks were busy indeed. Oliver activated Mai's memory as to the plans her father had implanted and she worked furiously getting the designs on paper now being a qualified engineer like her father had been.

Shinji worked as her assistant, and she kept him busy, and eventually she contacted all her father's old employees and several came back to work for her.

Oliver and Gene started their business with Michiru as their secretary. Keiko was now a computer crimes expert and helped them with computer crimes tracking down hackers and turning over the information to several different nations earning them notice as being a top-notch security company.

Gene and Oliver hired several people to handle the footwork. Their futures were looking bright and secure.

Oliver and Mai married the following year. Keiko and Gene were expecting twins and Shinji and Michiru were expecting one child. Only the fickle finger of fate would decide if their future would be happy or not, but for now, they had no worries.


End file.
